Maybe Tomorrow
by The Endless In-Between
Summary: Jack is a simple teenager who deals with his fathers verbal and sometimes physical abuse. He has no one to turn to and finds himself always looking for a way out. That is until a stranger moves into his neighborhood down the street with his own story to tell. Jack and Hiccup soon find that they need each other more than they originally thought.
1. Chapter 1

**Rating: I don't know yet so I am just putting it down as T. May change later.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Warning: There could be sensitive topics such as contemplative suicide, attempted suicide, self harm, and not to mention homosexuality. If any of this makes you uncomfortable, read at your own risk.**

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Grey clouds littered the skies above as a gentle snow was streaming to the ground to layer the earth with white. Along the street were townhouses made of ashen bricks that only seemed to add to the already darkened atmosphere. Perhaps it was just the weather that just made everything seem so somber or perhaps it was the young man that was walking down the street, hunched over with his hands stuffed deep in his winter jacket pockets and his head facing the ground that looked about ready to give up. He was soaked to the bone from earlier where a car had driven straight through a pile of slush which had came cascading down on the heedless boy whose only thought was to get home. Now his only thought was a warm bath. His teeth chattered and his hands were shaking as he stepped onto the porch of his home. As usual, the house attached to his on the left sat an old man with a long white beard and luminous blue eyes. The old man raised a hand and grinned in greeting to the boy who only found it in himself to nod back.

Once inside, the boy carefully slid off his shoes, attempting to not make a sound. He wanted to avoid the brutal words of the man he called father. Of course, since when did things ever go the way he wanted? Never.

"Jack? Is that you?" A surly voice inquired from a room at the end of the hall. "I was hoping you weren't going to make it home today. Maybe I should have just locked the door and let you freeze to death!" A harsh chuckle was heard at the end of that. Jack simply ignored him and made his way upstairs.

After he made it to his room he shut the door and locked it. Jack ran a hand through his alabaster hair and then proceeded to remove his wet clothes. He made his way to the bathroom and turned on the water, giving it a minute to warm up. In his peripheral vision he could see himself in the mirror and he gave himself a glance over. He never did find himself attractive. His body was lanky and his hair wasn't a natural color which immediately defined him as some sort of freak. His eyes to him were a dull blue when in reality, there were radiant. He just couldn't' see it in himself. Steam started to rise so he plugged the drain and sat down in the water as it promptly began to fill up. He didn't know how long he stayed in there and frankly, he didn't really give two shits. It was only after the water began to lose it's warmth did he get out and put on a pair of navy sweatpants.

Day after day, it was the same thing for him. He wasn't sure it would ever change and he found himself not caring if it didn't. It wouldn't matter anyway, even if things did get better, he would always have the scars, he would always hear the words of his father echo through his head, and he would always hear the screams in his nightmares. It was routine for him now. Everyday, he would wake up, go to school and deal with all the bullshit people dished out towards him. Then he would make his way home, deal with all the bullshit his father prepared for him and then after that, he would try to sleep only to get plagued with nightmares. It was a never ending ritual that he was about ready to give up on.

"JACKSON!" Suddenly there was a rush of footsteps as they made their way up the stairs. Jack ran to the door to unlock it, but it was too late. His father had reached the door and after realizing it was locked, Jack could literally feel the thickness of his anger through the door. "OPEN THIS DOOR NOW!" Jack made his way to the door and clicked it unlocked, preparing himself for the worst.

The door burst open hitting Jack and causing him to fall to the floor. He looked up to see the flaming anger in his fathers brown eyes. "Dad I didn-" Before he could get anymore words out his father had his hands around his neck as he lifted him off the ground.

"Shut your mouth." Jack did as he was told and clamped his mouth together. Greg, his father tossed Jack to the ground. "Do you know how hard I work to make sure we can live in this house, Jackson?" Jack nodded, waiting for his father to blow up. It was bound to happen. It did everyday. "I pay these bills, I pay for your food, for your stupid clothes, for all your idiotic shit that you need and in return I ask for you to just follow the rules." Jack stared at his father. His voice was calm, but like they say, it was the calm before the storm. "Do you know what rule you broke today?" Greg's fierce brown eyes held Jack frozen in spot.

"I-I locked the door, sir." Jack hated him. It was just a stupid door. He was naked when he locked it so excuse him if he didn't want his father barging in on him. But he wasn't about to voice his thoughts because he had already learned what that could cause.

Greg nodded. "You should have known better. I've told at least a dozen times so for you to forget you must be pretty stupid. Of course I already know that. I mean you can't do one thing right. Have you even found a job yet? Probably not. Nobody would want to hire a faggot like you. Just imagine what your mother would have said if she had know about _you._" Jack flinched, bringing up his mother was a sensitive topic for him. Just as long as he didn't bring up... "I think it's best that Amy died. You probably would have influenced her to be a fag just like you." That was it. That was the trigger for him. Jack could feel the burning in his eyes. "Strike a nerve did I? Good! You need to be punished. Everything about you is wrong. You're not good enough to have this life. You think you deserve better? You don't. Everything that happens to you, you deserve. Amy probably hates you right now. She's probably watching you thinking how much of a disgust you are." Greg turned to leave, feeling satisfied seeing his son on the floor with tears running down his face.

"Amy..." Greg turned back towards Jack, a scowl on his face. How dare he think he can continue to talk to him.

"Did you say something?" His voice laced with venom and hatred. His son was nothing but a reminder of terrible things and he hated it. Jack looked up to the monster.

"Mom and Amy... They...They didn't deserve to die." He muttered. Jack didn't care if Amy would have grown to hate him, he just knew that she was supposed to be alive. Despite what his father said, Jack already knew his mother had loved him. That was his little secret.

Greg frowned at him. Scoffing he turned back to the door and made his way out. Before he closed the door he gave one last look at Jack and with one last remark he closed the door behind him. "But you do."

After the door closed, Jack slammed his hands on the floor. The tears flooded down his face, and he felt so hollow and so hurt. Why? Why did his father do this? He sat up and crawled over to his closet. He leaned up against the door and brought his knees close to himself, burying his face within them to release his tears. His hands gripped at his hair.

"_Pathetic."_

"_Freak."_

"_Weak."_

"_Worthless."_

"_Nothing."_

"_Insignificant."_

"_But you do..."_

Words resounded around in his head. They came from everywhere. Memories of his father and the words of classmates, they encased his thoughts. But it was true. He deserved to die. It wasn't supposed to be them. He should have been the one. How can he be the one still breathing and living while they were six feet under the ground? This wasn't fair.

Jack had sat there until he raised his head and looked out his window. From outside a loud engine noise sounded and he wiped his eyes. His vision cleared and he got to his feet, making his way over to the window in a sluggish manner. His chest still felt heavy and his heart ached in ways he didn't know was possible. He pulled back his curtain and a little ways down the street he could see a moving truck being pulled into a driveway, followed by a little silver car. Jack watched as a very large man stepped out and he could hear from where he was the orders the man started giving the other men with the furniture. Just as he was about to close the curtains he noticed another person step out of the car. This one looked young, maybe around his own age. He couldn't help but watch them for a moment before the young boy disappeared into the house. Sighing, he closed the curtains and went and sat on his bead. With the distraction gone, his only focus was on the pain of his insides. He still couldn't believe how much emotional pain could hurt more than physical.

He rubbed at his eyes, now red and puffy, and then looked over at his nightstand. He opened the drawer causing over three different medicine bottles to rattle. He picked up the tylenol and twirled the bottle in his hand, listening to the pills rattle around inside. His mind raced with the possibilities. _Do I take them? _He felt the pull of a promising eternal sleep. All it would take was a glass of water and the bottle of pills. Suddenly his mother's smiling face appeared in his mind and he felt guilty. Despite what his father said, he knew his mom loved him.

When he was only thirteen, he had told his mother that he kept thinking men were more attractive instead of girls. His mother had laughed and hugged him, telling him that no matter what he would always be her little boy. He remembered his mother had actually told him; _"You know what? I like men too so I don't blame you." _ Her smile had been wide and her embrace felt warm. It had felt great knowing his mother as behind him and supported him. But then... A month later she had died. She had died and he was suddenly left alone to deal with his father. It wasn't until he was fourteen that his father discovered his sexuality and he went livid. Jack had the scars to prove it. It was moments like this he missed his mother. If he could have anything in the world, it would be another one of her tender hugs.

Jack put the bottle back into the drawer and pulled out another bottle full of melatonin. He grabbed one pill and popped into his mouth and swallowed it. Placing that bottle back he took one last glance at the tylenol. _Maybe tomorrow... _He shook his head, and slammed it shut and turned away from it. He could see through a little opening in his curtains that it was just starting to turn dark. He laid there until his eyes felt heavy and his mind grew foggy. Jack felt sleep finally take over him and he silently prayed tonight he would get some peaceful sleep without nightmares.

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**Well there you have it. Chapter one! I wanted to make sure that everyone would get a feel of who Jack was and what he has been through. So this was the introduction and I really hoped you liked it.**

**Also, you probably guess, the people that moved in down the street were Stoick and Hiccup. The only thing I need now is to know what Hiccup I should use. I like both the young Hiccup and the Older Hiccup. But I don't know which one I should use. So if you could leave your opinions in a review or message me them that would be great! Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here is chapter two. The last chapter had a few errors. Sorry about that. I missed those.**

**PLEASE READ: I am going to be using an older Hiccup, but he is just going to as awkward and covered with freckles as he was when he was young. I guess in a way he is an AU Hiccup. If you have any questions just let me know.**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed and put it on alert/favorite/whatever.**

**Warning: Really bad viking accent that pops up randomly when Stoick is talking. I just can't do accents.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

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"Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the third! Get yer arse down here and into the car!" The large, burly man bellowed. "We are all packed and set to go!"

Said boy was currently standing in what is now his 'old bedroom' since it was no longer his. He lingered a bit longer then turned and left, closing the room door behind him. He made his way down the stairs and out the front door, glancing back to the kitchen and sweeping his eyes across whatever his eyes could soak in. He was going to miss it here. This house held so many memories for him and he wasn't ready to let go of them.

"HICCUP!"

Hiccup cringed and silently left the house and trudged to the car. He didn't bother going to the passenger seat as he just wanted to lay down and be left alone. Once he was situated in the back seats, the engine of the car roared to life with loud and unnecessary noises. The car was old, but it still ran fine and Hiccup's father was never one to waste money on things that didn't need to be replaced.

Hiccup's forest green eyes glimpsed at his father in the front seat. The man was large with a beard that could almost be mistaken for some type of animal hanging off his face. Their family came from a linage of Viking, hence why the names were so weird, and it seemed everyone in his family was as large as large came. Everyone except Hiccup. He apparently didn't get the memo when he was inside of his mothers womb that he was supposed to be this big beefy guy with hair that grows every which way. He looked away from his father and put his arms under his head and buried his freckled face in them. The sooner the trip was over the better. The motion of the car and the silent tap of his fathers fingers on the steering wheel lulled him into sleep and a peaceful one.

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"Hammond..." Stoick gently shook the boy awake from the front seat. "Hammond wake up." Hiccup groaned and tried to ignore the pestering calls of his father. "Hiccup, if you don't wake up I am going to take your workshop room and turn it into hunting room."

After hearing the not so idle threat he sat up, glaring at his father. "Dad, my workshop is more important than your stupid deer heads and guns." Stoick huffed and pointed up to the house. Hiccup hunched over and leaned over the front seats. "It's a townhouse? Then how the heck are there four bedrooms? I thought they were supposed to be small."

Stoick ignored the complaints of his son and got out of the car, leading the men into the house while giving out orders. Hiccup frowned. He had never seen the house and he wasn't too keen on the idea of a townhouse. On the bright side, his dad had promised him a room to set up his workshop so he could continue to work on his inventions. He slipped out of the car, and looked around. It was almost dark out and the skies were grey and gloomy. Fit his mood perfectly. Maybe if he made a run for it he could make it back to his old house... But he had no idea how to get back and his with his luck he probably get kidnapped or die in the freezing weather. Or most likely, his prosthetic leg would give out and he wouldn't be able get that far. So he instead went inside.

On the inside of his home it was open and there was a lot of space. He really hadn't expected much of it but it truly did surprise him how much space was available. On the first floor was the master bedroom and another guest room. There was also the kitchen, living room and dining room. So he made his way upstairs figuring the other two rooms were up there. But what shocked him was that the upstairs was just a wide open room and a bathroom. Where was the last room? He walked over to the window and opened it, looking for his father below.

"DAD!" He shouted when he saw him assisting with some of the furniture. His father looked up and Hiccup waved. "WHERE IS THE FOURTH BEDROOM?"

Stoick adjusted his hold on one of the chairs he was holding and shouted back, "IT'S THE BASEMENT!"

Hiccup internally cringed, The basement? He was never a fan of them considering half the time horror movies took place in a basement. He grumbled under his breath and made his way back downstairs. It was funny, he hadn't seen a staircase or a door that held a staircase. He walked aimlessly around the house until he spotted his father walking through the front door.

"Dad, where is the basement?" He noticed Stoick had hesitated before he looked up. He continued to make his way to the kitchen where he put down another chair. He started back out the door for more when Hiccup let out a very aggravated sigh. "The basement? It doesn't exist."

Stoick turned and looked at his son, sighing. No longer was he a child, but in fact he was a young man now and even though their relationship was rocky at times, he was still proud of his son. Hiccup had grown much over the past year as he was just a late bloomer. His fragile and tiny son had grown into a young man, standing at about six feet and even though he was still thin, he managed to maintain a decent amount of muscle (thanks to his father's constant remarks about how he was too small for a viking). He ran a hand down his beard and looked at Hiccup.

"It does exist. Ya just can't get to it from inside the house." He pointed to patio door at the end of the kitchen. "It's actually a cellar that was turned into a room. Ya have to go through the cellar doors." Stoick then made his way back to the moving truck.

Hiccup stood still and watched his father leave. He couldn't believe it. A cellar for the other room? That's just perfect. It's was probably musty, and covered with mold with leaky pipes and concrete floors. This was just what he wanted. That's okay... He could probably use the other two rooms instead. He could put his workshop next to his father's bedroom and sleep in the room upstairs. Yeah. There we go.

But...

He might as well just check out the cellar. Before he could make his way over, his father had come back inside with a key. "If you're going to go look, you will need this key to unlock it. It locks from the inside." He placed it in his hand and swiftly returned to the men outside. Hiccup looked down at his hand and grasped the key.

When he got outside he saw the two doors that lead to the 'basement'. He put the key in the lock and heard the click as he turned it. He opened the doors and made his way down the stairs into the dark. The stairs were wooden, he could tell by the sound they made, but not like old wood, the new kind that makes that 'clunk' noise when you step on it and there weren't that many steps for him to have to climb up and down. That was a good sign, he felt along side the stair walls for a light switch and when his fingers brushed one he flipped it.

The room illuminated revealing a rather wide room. Once the stairs ended, plain beige carpet began and spread throughout the room except for in one medium sized section of the room, it was cut out and replaced with flat concrete. So he was right about one part, there was concrete, just not much. It was smoothed over and looked relatively new. It was probably meant for a laundry section. The walls were a bare white which made the room appear blander. He wandered around, noticing how much room there was in it. He came across two doors and he found that one led to a closet and the other full bath. The area overall didn't seem too bad and he rather enjoyed the solitude of it. It would give him a lot of room to put his furniture and he could easily use the concrete section for his workshop. Hiccup knew this could work, he just needed some paint on the walls and maybe some new ceiling tiles...

"It looks much nicer than the picture on the computer." Hiccup jumped and turned around in a defensive stance. Stoick chuckled. "I didn't mean to give ya a fright."

Hiccup quickly went back into his neutral position and rolled off his fathers comment. "I wasn't afraid. I was just caught off guard."

"Of course, son. So, how do you like it? Good enough for ya?" Hiccup nodded and Stoick smiled. "I figured. That's why I bought the house... This room, I thought you may have liked it."

Hiccup smiled and felt pretty happy for once. He knew his dad was trying and that was all that mattered to him. "It needs a little Hiccup flare, but it will work. Thanks, dad." Hiccup looked at the ground then back to his father, biting his lip. He wanted to so badly ask about his mother and if his father told her where they were moving. If he did, he was afraid of the answer though. "Dad, uh... Did you tell mom where we moved?"

Stoick's gaze hardened and Hiccup mentally scolded himself. He should have known better than to ask. Stoick just stood there, without a single word he just shook his head. Suddenly angry, Hiccup couldn't contain it anymore. "But why dad? We know where she is but now she won't know where we are!? How can you just leave her like that!?"

"HAMMOND!" Stoick shouted. His hands were balled and the knuckles were turning white. All blood seemed to have made its way to his face. Hiccup swallowed nervously. "That _woman_ has had no contact with us for almost seven years. She just up and left us with only a address. Has she ever come back? Has she ever written or called us? Was she the one there in the hospital the night of the accident, crying over her comatose sons body? Had she prayed for nights that her only son would live? Hammond, she is not the woman you think she is and she is not coming back. It's best that you forget her. It would be best... If we all forgot her."

Hiccup felt his insides being torn apart. The ache in his amputated leg seemed stronger, but his dad was right. Since the day his mother left, he had always still held hope that maybe she would come back. Even after seven years, he would sometimes sit looking out the window, waiting for her to come back. Now that they moved though, the reality of it was setting in and Hiccup couldn't find the words to speak what he was feeling. He stared at Stoick who seemed just as distressed and hurt as Hiccup. The silence between them felt unbearable but neither could find words to speak. It became just awkward and tense. Finally Stoick cleared his throat.

Stoick gestured to the stairs. "Why don't you go have a look around? It's getting dark but I think you can manage if you just walk around the neighborhood. We'll finish things up here."

Feeling relieved that he didn't have to stay in the thickness of the tension or had to help unpack anything, he hurriedly went out the door, barely managing a 'byethanksdad' before he grabbed a coat and began his journey down the street to clear his head. Stoick watched him leave and thought of the days when everything had been prefect, before his wife had left. He smiled at the memories and then quickly pushed them away. Stoick only hoped that maybe this move would make things a little bit better for his trouble son.

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**Yay! We learned about Hiccup! Next chapter I think I will keep it on Hiccup's point of view just because I have this story flow thing that I really want to play out. I really want to bring North into it so if you didn't guess it from the last chapter, he was the old man that had greeted Jack from the porch next door. Anyway, there will be more to learn about him, Hiccup, and Jack! Just you wait!**

**Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter three. Please enjoy.**

**I also want to say thank you to all the reviews I have received so far! So shout out to:**

**DPfruitloop ~ You were my first reviewer :3 And thanks for reading the second chapter as well! All I can do is write so you have no worries!**

**lovelybones1029 ~Thank you for reviewing both chapters!**

**wally's girlfriend**

**SwaggamuffinMooh **

**Guest reviewer Kia ~ I am hoping I can pull of the Older Hiccup!**

**Fangirl4ver **

**Guest reviewer Agnes ~ I understand you completely. I just put it up because if someone decided to 'complain' about it they wouldn't have a right to because I put it up there. I just don't want to deal with a bunch of whiny bitches. Ya feel? :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own a single thing.**

**Warning: Really bad Russian accent writing. I tried my best U.U If you could offer any help or assistance that would be most appreciated.**

**Carry on.**

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The chill air and darkening skies made Hiccup feel a tad uneasy considering he had no idea where he was going. He had just taken the opportunity his dad had given him and made a run for it before any minds could be changed. He looked amongst the houses, most of them looked the same. Old and dark. Some of them he assumed people had tried to brighten up by painting their doors or putting up some floral wreaths. Other than that, they all looked pretty downcast. He walked a little ways down the street and happened to look at the other side of the street where an old man was sitting on his porch. The old man lifted his arm and waved over at Hiccup. Hiccup responded with his own wave and was about to continue on when the old man motioned for him to come over. Unsure of what the old man wanted, he carefully looked both ways, and casually crossed the street.

He approached the man and noticed right away that he was a very stocky man with a long white beard that rivaled his fathers. The old man ushered him closer and Hiccup walked up the steps until he was just a few feet away from the man. Said man was currently running his hand through his beard observing Hiccup.

"You and your family just moved in house down street, yes?" The man kept his azure gaze on the young boy, making him feel a little uncomfortable. He nodded anyway, a little distracted by the man's strong accent. The man smiled, making his wrinkles more prominent. "Yes, I saw you with that man. He is your father?" Hiccup nodded again. The old man chuckled deeply. "You don't speak much. Oh! Forgive me, I have yet to introduce myself. I am Nicholas St. North. You may call me Old Man North." He reached his hand out, his sleeve sliding up just enough to reveal his tattoos. Hiccup paid no mind to them as he reached out and shook his hand. He was surprised that his hand hadn't broken when Old Man North shook his. The man had an iron grip.

"Hammond Horrendous Haddock the Third. But you can call me Hiccup." He flushed when Old Man Noth chuckled once again. He never did like introducing himself. "It's a viking thing..." He tried to explain but Old Man North had brought up a hand to silence him.

"No need to explain. Ve are friends now. No need to vorry about nonsense such as names." He nodded over to the chair next to him."Take a seat. It has been a vile since I've had some company." Hiccup did as he was told and sat down. Old Man North looked at him and then his eyebrows raised. "You look young. How old are you?"

"I'm seventeen, sir. I will be eighteen in a few months." Hiccup noticed the man smile broadly and he wondered what the old man was thinking.

"You know, there iz boy your age that lives right next door." He pointed to the house attached on the right. "I never see him with anyone. Always alone with his father." Old Man North frowned. "Call it elderly intuition, but I think that young lad could use a friend." He looked to Hiccup, and there was something in his eyes, like he knew something but wasn't going to share.

Hiccup looked to the house and saw every window was covered with curtains, like it was a wall that was supposed to keep them separate from the world outside. He didn't like it. Turning back to Old Man North he saw him smiling right back at him. "Old Man North?"

"Hm?"

"How long have you lived here?" He wanted to keep talking to him. It was a pleasant distraction from his earlier turmoil and he wasn't ready to go back yet. Old Man North looked up in thought, a smile growing on his face.

"Let's see here, this vas the second home I had bought with my wife. That vas over twenty years ago. You see, this neighborhood iz very old, much like myself. Vhen they were just being built, my wife and I got a very good deal for ours. This vas the home that we spent most of our years together in." A fond smile graced his features when he spoke of his wife. "We had lived together for the next thirty-two years."

"Where is your wife now?" He recalled him saying that he didn't get much company and he wondered if maybe she had passed on or just left.

"My wife iz gone. She passed on five years ago." A sorrow look passed his eyes but was replaced with mirth. "She still has way of getting to me though. I can always feel her with me and I know that I am being vatched over. No matter who leaves in your life, they will always be remembered. Just always got to think of the good times." He leaned back in his chair and stroked his beard, a faraway look in his eyes.

Hiccup sat in silence. He didn't want to disturb the old man and he found the silence to be... Pleasant. Not the kind him and his father shared. He took this chance to think about his mother. He almost always questioned why she left. Was it his dad that drove her off? Or was it himself? When he was younger, he always wrote letters for her and gave them to his dad to send to her since that was all she left for them, an address on a used napkin. Apparently, his father had only sent the first few and stopped sending them when he realized that she was never going to send one back. The letters started to pile up in a desk drawer and soon Hiccup had found them and his letter writing days were over. He had cried many nights wishing for his mother to come back, wishing that she would step through the doorway and tell him she loved him, wishing that she would come into his room and tuck him in one more night, or even just one last lullaby to chase the nightmares away. It was hard for him. Losing his mother those years ago left him scared and fearful of others that would leave. It was why he had found solace in his inventions. They brought him peace.

"You know, everyday, I wave to that young man. Never once has he smiled in return. He merely nods or lifts his hand at most. He seems so sad most of time." Hiccup turned and faced the man, breaking his trance. Old Man North sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "You seem like nice boy. " He lifted his gaze to Hiccup. "Perhaps if you are not busy, you come by again tomorrow? If not, iz completely okay."

Hiccup shook his head. "No, that sounds just fine. I'm sure my dad will take the time to set up the house without me being in the way." Maybe it was just Old Man North's kind demeanor but Hiccup actually looked forward to coming back again. He noticed the delight in the mans eyes and suddenly he felt good. Even though it would be a little strange, he wouldn't mind becoming friends with him. For the rest of the evening he had sat with Old Man North and chatted with him, listening to some of his old tales about his days in Russia and how often him and his wife would visit back home. Thankfully, he had never asked much about Hiccup or his life. He also thanked his lucky stars he was wearing jeans and sneakers due to the cold, covering over his prosthetic. It avoided any awkward questions.

It wasn't until Hiccup's cell began to vibrate did he realize the time. It was past nine and the sky was now painted black with a shower of stars. He looked at his phone and saw it was his dad calling.

"Hello, dad?"

"_Hiccup, where are you? It's been a few hours since you left and I haven't heard from you."_

"Sorry. I met one of our neighbors and we just started talking and I sort of lost track of time."

"_Well, that's good. But I think it's best you start heading home."_

"I'll be right there." They said goodbye and he hung up, looking to North. "I am really sorry, but I have to go now." He stood to leave and Old Man North shooed him off, but before he left he turned back to North. "Will you be out here tomorrow morning?" The man chuckled.

"Of course! Now get going. You've spent enough time with this old man." North waved as he watched the boy leave and head back to his home. His smile disappeared as he peered over at the house next to him. He thought of the young man that lived there and suddenly thought of Hiccup as well. His hand went over his belly and he once again smiled. _Something tells me things are going to start changing for these two._

* * *

Hiccup walked through his front door and noticed most of the furniture had been given a home and there were only a few boxes left to unpack. He walked to the kitchen where he found his father sitting at the table eating a sandwich with a side of some type of vegetable. Hiccup stuck his tongue out at it, he hated vegetables. He was more of a fruit kind of guy.

"Hey dad." He sat down across from his father and for a bag of chips that were sitting on the table. Stoick looked disapprovingly at the trash his son was about to devour but didn't say anything. Hiccup just grinned innocently and munched on the chips.

"So," Stoick began, "who is this new neighbor you have met?" He genuinely looked curious about it and it had Hiccup thinking that maybe his dad was becoming more interested in his life. He swallowed and then began his tale.

"His name is Nicholas St. North and he likes to go by Old Man North. Oh Dad, you wouldn't believe some of the stories he told me. Like this one time..." Hiccup continued his reiterating of the tale with his father listening intently, only stopping him to ask a few questions. It felt almost normal between them and the awkwardness of earlier had vanished. All was well between them and their relationship for now.

Stoick seemed pleased with the man that Hiccup spoke of. After the last story was over, the younger of the two men noticed his fathers exhaustion and felt bad he made him stay up later to listen to him. "I am going back tomorrow morning to talk with him again." Stoick nodded while yawning. "Dad, you should sleep. We can unpack the rest tomorrow."

"You're right. I had the movers setup your bed before they left. I left the rest of your stuff up to you to unpack." Stoick and Hiccup exchanged goodnights and he watched his father enter the master bedroom and close the door behind him. Hiccup stood and grabbed a water bottle then fished for his key from his pocket.

After digging out his comforter and removing his prosthetic leg, he happily laid on his bed and closed his eyes. Overall, he was happy about meeting Old Man North, but the thing that bothered him was the way he had looked to the house next of him. If was a look of pity, apprehension, and something along the line of fear. Was there something wrong with the people that lived there? He had mentioned a boy his age... He wondered if by chance they could become friends. He decided he would worry about it later and snuggled deeper in his blankets. His last thought as a shiver went through him was he was going to need to get a heater if he was going to stay down here.

* * *

The next morning, Hiccup was, to say the least, eager to get to Old Man North's porch. He showered, dressed himself in a brown sweater and some jeans with the sneakers he had been wearing last night. He left a note for his dad letting him know that he had left and he would be back later. As he neared the house, he saw North happily sitting in his chair, drinking a cup of coffee, but as soon as he sat down next to the man he realized in fact it wasn't coffee, but hot cocoa.

"Good morning, Hiccup." Old Man North said, taking a sip from his mug. He grinned at Hiccup and then used one of his arms to point out another mug. "I figured you'd be here soon, so I made you a cup as vell." Hiccup thanked him and took a drink from it. His eyes widened as the warm sweet, chocolatey liquid trickled down his throat, warming his body.

"This is delicious!" He took another swig and smiled. It was officially the best hot cocoa he had ever tasted. North chuckled at the lad and placed his own mug of the small table that sat between them.

"I'm glad you like. Iz my wife's recipe. She learnt it from her mother who learnt it from her own mother. It had been in family long time. She only taught me after we got married. She had said to me, 'Now we are family. I can teach you to make best hot cocoa.'" He laughed as he recalled those affectionate memories. "First time I try to make it, not so good. Ve spent hours cleaning up big chocolate mess, but it vas fun."

Hiccup delighted in these stories. They made him feel good, it was like Old Man North's happiness was spreading to him. As soon as it came though, it was suddenly gone. A slam came from the door next to them and both looked over to see a young man with pure white hair staring at the door he just walked out of. The teen looked to the ground, his hands fisting together as if he were about to punch something. He must've felt their eyes because he eventually looked over to them, a bit shocked to see someone else besides the old man. Old Man North, raised his hand in greeting and Hiccup followed. The teen stared at them before shaking his head and nodding towards them. Then he dug his hands into his blue sweatshirt and walked off the porch of his home, making his way down the street. Hiccup turned to look back at North.

"What was that?" He was genuinely confused about why the teen had looked about ready to cry or why he had just stormed off like that.

"I do not know for sure, but it happens ovten with him. He alvays leaves and never returns till late." Old Man North looked to the ground. "That is why I sometimes stay out later than necessary, just to make sure he comes home."

It was strange to Hiccup. When he saw the boy's eyes he knew that look. It was the same look Hiccup had when he had found out his mother left. It was a sad and lonely look that only a person who had experienced true sorrow could see. He watched as the frosted haired teen walked further and further down the street.

"Everyday, I see him walk out door and every time he come home, he just look more broken than before." The old man's gaze became disheartened. "I vish I could do something."

"Have you ever met his family?" Hiccup inquired. He looked to the house to see if anyone had been looking out the curtains. Nothing had been moved. Did no one in that house care?

"He and his father had moved in about three years ago. They are very quiet and they never really talk to anyone. He vas so young the day he arrived and his father looked nothing short of miserable. They never introduced themselves so I can't say that I have actually met them."

After that, they put their conversation in a different direction. Once again, Hiccup spent most his time just listening to Old Man North. Some of the things he mentioned didn't seem possible but the way he had told them had Hiccup believing in them. He felt like a child again and it brought back memories of when his mother would tell him old stories of vikings and how they battled fierce dragons with their bare hands. The small thought of his mother brought an ache to his heart but as soon as North had come back outside with another mug of hot cocoa he forgot all about it, glading accepting more of the sweet substance. Old Man North smiled and waved his hand around giving the stories all the more action to it as Hiccup listening intently. After a while, the stories died down and they sat in a comfortable silence.

Hiccup looked toward the end of the street where he had last seen the young man walking. He wondered if he was okay. He hadn't looked so well when he left and it made him uneasy. One thing he did notice was the eyes of the teen. They had been crystal clear blue and appeared brighter than any average pair of blue eyes. It just pained him to have seen them so sad. He knew exactly how sorrow could affect someone and he wanted to do something for him. Maybe something inside him was doing for himself too. Hiccup never really had friends and seeing as the boy was alone too he was thinking it could be possible they could keep each other company. He turned to Old Man North who was sound asleep in his chair. Hiccup sighed contently and leaned back. So far everything was going okay. He still was distressed about his mother but for now he just looked to the sky and watched as snow began to fall once again, finding it to be calming.

Something told him that beyond all the troubles in his life and all that he has had to endure, things were about to change. His only worry was he wasn't sure if it was going to get better or worse.

* * *

**There you have it! Woo hoo!**

**So what happened to Jack? We will find out next chapter from his point of view! Any questions you can leave in a review or you can message them to me. Thanks so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed it!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello! This chapter was such a pain to write. I think I wrote it like five times before I decided this was good enough. School started so updates are going to be slow. Just a warning! **

**Now to the reviews!**

**Thank you to:**

**DPfruitloop ~ Thank you! Your reviews are very kind!**

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**Guest reviewer Agnes ~ No I understand. It's the same when people tell me I can't be asexual. . If you would like I can take it off and I won't put it again? :) **

**Guest reviewer Honey beeez ~ You are too kind! Much thanks! **

**Also, I got a LOT of alerts/faves in my email so thank you so much everyone! I am so happy you guys are enjoying this story!**

* * *

It was cold. Wait, no.

_It was insanely freezing. _

Jack pulled the blanket tighter around him and snuggled into the fetal position. He shivered and squeezed his eyes. He slowly blinked around his dimly lit room and groaned. He rolled over onto his back and stared at the ceiling. Why the hell couldn't he feel his fingers? He lifted his hand in front of his face and wiggles his fingers. They moved but he had no feeling of it. Groaning once more he sat up letting the blanket pile into his lap and discovered that it was a bad idea. The cold air hit him and he brought his arms up to wrap around himself. He looked at his heater which sat comfortably in the corner of his room. It was silent and definitely not running like it should be.

_So this is why I'm freezing my ass off. _Jack forced himself out of bed going to investigate what was going on. He saw that the knob was turned to the correct temperature and the switch said on. He flicked it off and then back on. Still nothing changed and it remained useless. He grumbled and went over to the lightswitch to at least find a sweater to put on.

_Click._

_Click._

_Click._

_What the hell? _No matter how many times he flipped the switch the lights would not come one. He banged his head against his wall. Maybe the power went out overnight or something. He decided he better see if his dad knew what was going on. As soon as he opened his door, a rush of warm air graced him and he let himself enjoy it before it dawned on him. If the hall was heated, then shouldn't his room be? He trudged down the stairs and curiously looked around. The rest of the house was lit, warm, and working just fine. He heard his fathers insistent typing on a keyboard down the hall. He cautiously made his way to the room, knocking gently against the door that was already open. Without looking up, his dad grunted in response.

"Dad, why isn't the power working in my room?" Jack glanced at the clock on the wall and saw that it was just getting a little past seven in the morning. His dad opened a drawer and tossed a piece of paper to the ground in front of the desk and muttered 'here'. Jack approached the paper and knelt down. His brows furrowed in confusion. "Is this a bill? What does this have to do with anything?"

"The electricity is way too much so this month I am cutting back." He finally looked down at Jack who was still knelt down and his eyes were nothing but cruel. "To save money I turned off the power to your room."

Furious, Jack stood and slammed his hands on his desk. His usually pale face was flushed with anger and his fingers twitched against the wood. "You can't do this."

Greg stood up from his chair and loomed over Jack, his face just as red. Just add a pulsing vein on his temple. "I pay these bills every month with the money I _work _for, Jackson." He seethed. "Now unless you have a wad of cash sitting somewhere you are willing to put towards the bills, I can turn whatever the hell I want off."

"But I need my heater so I don't freeze to death at night! I'm surprised I didn't wake up with hypothermia this morning!" Argued Jack, who raised his voice a notch. His father took notice right away. It was now Greg's turn to slam his hand on the desk, sending Jack stumbling back in shock.

"DO YOU HAVE A JOB? DO YOU DO ANYTHING AROUND THE HOUSE TO HELP? DO YOU RUN ERRANDS?" He shouted, not waiting for a response. " ALL YOU DO IS LEAVE THEN COME BACK WITH NOTHING." Greg sagged his shoulders and pinched the bridge of his nose. Taking deep breaths he used his other hand to point to the door. "Just...get out."

Jack had managed to gain back his composure and stared at his father. He had so much he wanted to yell at him but it just didn't feel worth it so he turned and left the office, heatedly stomping up the stairs. He felt childish but he was pissed so he didn't care. Inside his room, he gave another involuntary shudder. Grumbling, he went to his closet and pulled out his favorite blue hoodie and pulled that over his head. He might as well change his pants while he was at it. So he went with his worn-down brown pants. He wasn't quite sure what he was going to do now without any power in his room. He debated whether he should just strip down, dump some water on him and go out in the snow. He would for sure die within the day. Before he could think any farther, he heard his dad calling to him. _What the hell does he want now? _

Inside his fathers office once more, he saw papers strewn across the floor and his cup of pens tumbled over. He guessed his father must've lashed out from his frustration. Speaking of his father, Greg was currently staring down Jack with a look that could be considered lethal. Jack internally faltered from the intensity but on the outside remained passive. "What do you want?" His voice cracked and he cursed himself for sounding weak.

"I thought I told you to get out." Greg inquired, his voice was low and his tone almost threatening. Jack swallowed hard. He didn't ever feel safe when his father would get this way.

"What do you mean? I left your office only five minutes ago and you called me back down here." The confusion in his voice was evident because Jack was so lost as to what his dad was trying to tell him. Was he drunk? Greg glared at him as if he read his thought.

"I didn't mean just my office." The visible widening of Jack's eyes gave Greg some sort of sick satisfaction inside of him and he smirked. "I've been thinking,Jackson. I've been allowing you to take residence within my home without wanting you to do much but follow rules. And now you're how old? Fifteen?" Jack had to stop himself from rolling his eyes.

"I'm sixteen and I'll be seventeen in a month." Jack corrected, stuffing his hands in his pocket and looking away. Greg shrugged.

"Whatever. All that matters is you can now get a job and start forking over money to help pay for the bills. I don't want you coming home until you have found a job." He nodded at the teen and pointed to his door. "That is what I meant by get out." Jack didn't move. "Now!"

"Finding a job could take me days even weeks! You can't do this!" Jack pleaded. His stomach twisted and he felt sick. This was seriously happening, his dad was kicking him out and unless he started bringing home cash he would have no place to stay. Greg stood still, obviously not affected by the possibility that anything could happen to his only son. Jack decided he wouldn't let his father win this, so he stood proudly and looked his father in the eyes and told him with the most loathing tone, "I hate you."

"I can live with that." Greg lowered himself to his chair, not sparing Jack another glance. The conflicted teen violently stalked to the front door, not bothering to put on shoes, and stepped outside. He turned to face the inside of his house, narrowing his eyes at the end of the hallway then slammed the front door shut. His looked to his feet and took deep breaths to try and calm his anger. His fists tightened into balls and he resisted punching the front door if only for the concern of breaking his knuckles. Sensing someone watching his he peered over to left at the porch and found two sets of eyes on him. It was the old man and a young man he wasn't familiar with.

The old man waved as usual and to his surprise the one sitting next to him followed. It was unusual to be acknowledged by someone else and it made a strange feeling start to bloom within him. He caught himself staring and shook his head, regaining his composure. He lifted his head in response. After a moment he turned off the porch and onto the sidewalk. He ignored the already beginning cold ache in his feet and began his trek to town. He figured that there had to be job openings somewhere available to him. A gust of cold air rushed him causing him to dig his hands into his hoodie pocket. He frowned to himself. Already his day was looking grim and for a moment he thought of his bottle of pills back home. An uncomfortable wave of nausea caused him to cringe and shake his head. Now wasn't the time to think about that, so instead he chose to think about the auburn haired stranger from the porch.

* * *

Once he made it to the central part of town, he began looking for 'help wanted' or 'now hiring' signs. He noticed a few people giving him some strange looks. Probably because it was lower than zero out and he wasn't wearing shoes. He just ignored them for the sake of not making a scene. When one old woman shook her head at him in disapproval he grit his teeth to keep from expressing his thoughts. He was sick of those looks. The ones of pity, disgust, and disappointment. It all just made him feel worse than he already was.

"Son, you okay? I can give you a ride somewhere." A man had stopped Jack in his tracks by grabbing his shoulder. Jack rolled his hand off and glared at him.

"I'm fine." He snarled. He didn't like the sympathy in the voice this guy was giving him one bit. Like he could possibly know what he was going through. So before the man could say anything more he took off down the street, ignoring the yells from behind. Finally, he saw a store that had a sign out front and crossed his fingers for the best.

After being rejected three times by different stores, Jack was about ready to give up. There were hardly any placing looking for new employees which only made things much more difficult for him. He was pretty sure the last guy just hated him. He had recognized him from school as one the athletes that had engraved 'cock sucker' in his locker. At this rate, he was pretty sure that he was going to have to sleep in a box tonight.

He had managed to walk all the way to the central park so he decided to just sit down for a while. Finding a bench he curled himself up on the corner, bringing his knees to his chest and wrapping his arms around them. He let out a sigh watching his breath become visible in the frigid air. He usually was one to love the cold, but never had he ever had to survive in it knowing that he didn't have a home to go to. No place to warm himself up or find a decent meal. It wasn't the best idea to think of food because right after a pile pancakes popped up in his thoughts, his stomach rumbled. He pulled his legs closer to try and hide the noise. It didn't do much for him, it still sounded as if bomb was going off. He muttered to himself.

_I don't have any money on me. Maybe I can sneak home and grab my pop-tarts..._ Before he knew it he was standing up and following the trail home. He was pretty good at climbing and his bedroom window was in the front of the house. All he would have to do is climb up the side of the house and make it to the overhang above the porch. Luckily, the lock on his window had been broken for the past year and his father just didn't bother with getting it fixed. He decided he could grab a few things while he was there like a blanket, jackets, and some shoes. He couldn't feel his toes anymore. He should grab some socks too.

* * *

He was at the edge of town and halfway to his neighborhood when he recalled that his neighbor and that strange guy was sitting outside. He assumed it had only been about an hour since he left so there was probably a good chance that they were still there and to be frank, he didn't need them to see him breaking into his own house for food and clothes. They would probably call the cops and the next thing he would know he would be thrown into foster care. He hated his dad, but he definitely hated the idea of moving houses a lot more. If he was lucky, they will ignore him. _Just like everyone else. _He thought bitterly.

He was standing at the end of his street, hesitating. Jack was leaning against a street lamp, peering around it to see if he could spot his neighbor and that boy. He inwardly groaned when he saw them still sitting there a few houses down. Now he was conflicted as to what he should do. He was about to turn back around when out the corner of his eye he saw the old man point in his direction.

_Shit. I guess I can't turn back now without looking suspicious. _Jack moved down the street towards his house then stopped when he noticed that the young man was approaching him. His first instinct told him to run, but again he wanted to avoid drawing attention so he opted on waiting to find out what the guy was doing. Jack looked nervously around before looking to the ground where he saw the shadow of the auburn haired boy nearing.

"Hi, I'm Hiccup." A somewhat nervous voice sputtered out. Jack kept his gazed down at his feet. He didn't say anything back in response, hoping maybe he would walk away. Apparently he wasn't getting the hint. "Uh, your neighbor over there wanted to know if you would like to join us for some hot cocoa."

Jack finally looked up, his blue eyes clashing with deep green. He studied the teen before him and decided his eyes were the best of his features. He thought that the freckles that covered his face suited him well and his gap teeth just added to him. Over all in his opinion the guy was good looking. "I'm Jack and thanks, but I rather not." He replied rather harshly. Hiccup bit his bottom lip.

"You sure? I just met him but he's a really nice man and I think he would like it if you would join us." Jack sighed. He didn't even know these people so why would they want his company?

"I appreciate the offer, but I'm going somewhere." Aggravation lacing his words. His feet were freezing and he just wanted some socks, but oh no. This guy just had to block his path.

"Oh, uh, okay." Hiccup shrugged. It was then that he noticed Jack wasn't wearing any sort of covering on his feet. "Wait, where are going without shoes? You'll get sick."

"I'll be fine, don't worry." Jack ran a hand through his snowy hair, shrugging. "It's nothing I can't handle." He glanced over at his house, which wasn't far from where he was standing, and he felt sad suddenly. It wasn't really his home. That man wasn't a father. Everything about that house screamed lonely and to him, he didn't want to go back. He didn't have a choice though. There was no one else in town that would be willing enough to take him in. Hiccup caught his gaze.

"Are you going home?" His observant gaze picked up the slight hesitation Jack had before answering his question.

"Something like that."

"Alright then. If you change your mind though, we'll be sitting out on the porch." Hiccup then turned and began to walk away. His shoulders hunched from the sudden chill that passed by with the wind. He snuck a glance back at Jack and saw him watching, quickly turning away when he was caught. Hiccup brushed it off and shivered his way over back to Old Man North. Once he was seated he grabbed his mug and took two large swigs of his his hot cocoa. It warmed him inside with a pleasant feeling. After being satisfied with his drink he set it down and told North what Jack had explained. The bearded man nodded, leaning back and releasing a sigh.

"Too bad, I have plenty of hot cocoa to go 'round." He tapped his fingers against his thigh. "Ah, but here he comes. Look, Hiccup!" He lifted his large hand and pointed to just a few feet down the street where Jack was approaching.

Jack saw the old man pointing at him and he grimaced. He didn't know why he was coming over. He should be more concerned about getting some socks but something inside him told him that going over there wouldn't be so bad. So he let his feelings guide him towards the two strangers and as he got closer he smelt the sweetness of hot cocoa.

He reached the front of the steps and paused. He looked up to see both of them watching him, one with a jolly smile and the other with a curious curious one was first to speak.

"I thought you were going home?" Hiccup didn't want to sound rude but when he talked to the guy he had a pretty bad attitude. Jack gave him an apologetic smile.

"I changed my mind. Is it okay if I join?" He felt stupid. This was stupid. He was angry less that five minutes ago but watching Hiccup walk away made him feel alone once again. He didn't want to have to go through that at the moment so he had decided it would do him good to sit and talk to people for a while.

"Vell of course! Come and sit! I have plenty of snacks and cocoa for you and if you are good, I vill share some of my old tales with you." Old Man North smiled warmly. Jack said a 'thanks' and moved to sit on chair placed next to Hiccup's. North then stood and left to get a mug, some cookies, and a pair of socks and slippers for Jack. He sat straight in his chair with the feeling 'outsider' settling in his stomach.

"I'm glad you joined us." Hiccup commented. "As much as I like Old Man North, I want to also talk to people my age." Jack just nodded. "Plus, I think you need the company just as much as I do."

Jack turned and stared at Hiccup who only smiled in return, taking a sip from his drink. Jack's stomach twisted with a strange feeling. Perhaps this oddly named teen was someone that Jack could get to know. Perhaps, but he wasn't about to just let him slide in and become his friend. No. Jack had more walls than that. Just maybe though Hiccup was different from the others.

**Holy shit that was the worst ending I have ever written. I am so sorry if you read this. I really had no idea where to go with this and I just winged it but I promise this will get better. I hope. Anyway, thank you so much if you made it this far! *throws hijack love to you all* I will try to get the next chapter out quicker (if tumblr would stop distracting me U_U ).**

**~Review please!**


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